


eight million

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Ashes Scene in Avengers: Infinity War Part 1, Character Death, DONT READ UNLESS YOUVE SEEN INFINITY WAR, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-01 08:37:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14516565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: may waits for peter to come homewarning: dont read if you havent seen infinity war !! spoilers ahead :)





	eight million

She sits by the phone, fingers trembling, her leg bounces with a bubble of anxiety that flows through her body, jolting every nerve in her body like hot electricity.  
  
He was supposed to be on the bus. He was supposed to be okay. But it’s been half an hour since the world ended and she hasn’t heard from anyone.  
  
She’s called the school. She’s called his teacher that was supposed to be on the bus with him. She’s called Ned and she’s damn tried every Avenger that would have a clue where he could be.  
  
She called the new Avenger’s base upstate, only to hear the robotic sound of voicemail, leaving nothing but a chocked sob and plead, “ _tell me you have my baby, Stark”_  before hanging up with heaving sobs that wrack her body.  
  
She’s not sure how long she’s been sat here for, or how long she’ll stay, because watching half the population disappear into nothing in a matter of seconds has terrified her, and she’s not really sure what to expect next.  
  
New York City seems so quiet; the most quiet she’s ever seen it since she moved here. There’s no cars outside or the sounds of life. She feels as if she’s the only one left in the neighbourhood.  
  
She doesn’t want to be the only one left.  
  
The seconds of silence drag out painstakingly long, and her hands continue to shake and tears roll down her red cheeks as if it were second nature for her body to feel this way.  
  
Then there’s a knock at the door.  
  
She jumps up from her seat, heart pounding, and with small caution, she walks over to the door. _Please be Peter_ , she begs; she begs with every inch of her very being for her to open the door and to see his face.  
  
But instead, she opens the door, and stood where her nephew should be standing, stands a solemn looking Tony Stark. And Peter isn’t with him.  
  
He doesn’t look her in the eyes, his gaze ghosts past her into the apartment behind her, and before May can even muster words, he pulls her into a tight hug.  
  
It’s enough for her to know.  
  
It’s enough for her body to crumple in his hold, for her lungs to close inside her body and for her brain to pulse violently against her skull like a drum. It’s enough for tears to pour from her, and for a scream to erupt from her chest.  
  
It’s enough to know she’s lost her boy.  
  
‘I’m sorry.” Tony whispers against her hair, “I’m sorry.”

Her legs are weak and the trembling in her fingers has travelled up her hands and arms and all throughout every muscle in her aching body.  
  
She screams again, no amount of cries being able to comprehend the amount of hurt she’s feeling right now.  
  
“I’ll bring him back,” she hears Tony murmur to her, holding her tightly, “I promise you, I’ll bring him back.”  
  
She’s too distraught to understand anything he’s saying, her own cries drowning out his voice.  
  
“I’ll bring him back. No matter what, I’ll bring him back.”  
  
They stand like that for a while, in each other arms. The small sounds of her dying down sniffs and sobs,  
  
“You can come back with us.” Tony tells her quietly.  
  
May doesn’t need to ask who ‘ _us_ ’ is, or ‘ _where_ ’ is. She knows he’s letting her stay at the Avengers base; or at least what could be left of it, and she doesn’t even know why he’s really offering.  
It could be for comfort, somewhere she’d have a shoulder to cry on. Or maybe she’s not safe here.  
  
She’s still none the clearer of what’s even happened. Watching people on the streets below from her living room window turn to nothing but ash and dust in a matter of seconds, tiny flakes blowing in the wind, just mere hours ago.  
She’d been terrified, so unsure of what to do.  
  
But when Tony doesn’t add on to his offer; give her some sort of idea what’s going on, does it become clear it’s because he isn’t really sure either.  
  
She pulls herself away from his chest, her hair stuck wetly to her tear stained cheeks and he takes a deep breath as she brushes them away from her face,  
  
“I’m going to stay here.” She tells him, watching his face twist in confusion.  
  
“I don’t care if it’s dangerous,” she tells him before he can open his mouth, “I need to stay here.”  
  
He looks at her in silence before he speaks,  
  
“May, I think it would be best if you weren’t by yourself – “ but she cuts him off with a pained tone, closing her eyes as more fresh tears begin to well in her eyes,  
  
“I’m going to be okay.”  
  
She opens her eyes and tears slip down her face,  
“I need to stay here, Tony. I need to stay here in case he comes back.”  
  
Her voice cracks at the end and her breath hitches.  
  
She just wants him to come home. She _needs_ him to come home.  
  
She watches him, calculation his options in his head, probably trying to conjure an argument to make her come with him; but he comes up with nothing. Nothing but a sad look and a small nod.  
  
A nod of understanding.  
  
“You know you’re always welcome. If you need us.” He tells her and she nods, giving him a weak smile.  
  
And with one final tight hug, he leaves.  
  
May is left standing in the doorway of her empty apartment. She stands there for a while with the door still open, listening for anyone else left in her building. But she’s greeted with nothing but a heavy silence.  
  
When she closes the door again, does she fold in on herself and let herself cry. She sinks to her knees and cries.  
  
She cries because she’s scared. She cries because she doesn’t know if Tony will be able to pull through with his promise. She cries because she misses her Peter.  
  
And she cries until she sleeps, curled up on the floor with puffy red eyes and a heavy heart. And in the city of more than 8,000,000 people in it, has she never felt more alone.  
  
Because even though only half the population of the planet has gone, to her, her whole world has disappeared. 

**Author's Note:**

> (reading this back through i realised that you could see may and tony in a romantic way here? and this wasnt intentional because i dont ship them but you guys can do whatever you want lol)
> 
> let me know what you thought and leave a kudos! thanks for reading :)
> 
> come say hi on tumblr!! @watergator


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